Van Deusen/Kosinski Collection


not lie together, lest the shock should take a circumlocution, and pass partly on to the opposite side and may, especially in a weak person, endanger abortion. I think there would be much danger in passing strong shocks through the uterus; they would, undoubtedly, prove fatal to a delicate habit. Light shocks may be passed in great numbers from right hand to left, across the breast, and from the sides of the neck to the feet; but these last must be almost imperceptible; they must not be perceived to jar the patient in the body. However, as there is an increased tension or stricture upon the vessels, there can be no great danger in reducing that tension to the same degree of laxity which existed before the fever, if it is done moderately. I have had occasion to use it on several women, in all stages of pregnancy, and have never observed any ill effect produced by the shock in such cases. I had occasion to use the shock on a woman in the yellow fever, at New-York, the wife of Abraham Bower, Washington street; she was in a very high state of inflammation, and of a firm, compact habit: I have her great numbers of light shocks: in the course of two or three days, she was relieved from the first operations of them from pain; in a few hours an universal diaphoresis was promoted, and kept up about two days, by which time she was nearly well. I think it was the fourth or fifth day I took her under my care, that she cooked gammon herself, and ate freely, without receiving any injury thereby. This was about the last of September, 1798. Mrs. Bower, however, could hardly believe that those little insignificant shocks should be so instrumental in her cure. Doctors in the city had the same instruments, and did not use them scarcely in any case: I was from the country, and cut no popular figure; in short, the lady did not know what to think of this new fashion, but was willing to own I had cured her very suddenly, and was a good nurse.

The fever was on the decline when I came to the city, being the last of september, so that I had but a very small opportunity of introducing my new and infallible remedy of fever. While I was tending on Mrs. Bower, I was called to a woman near Bear-market, I think a kinswoman of Mrs. Bower; she was suddenly taken of afever (but not pregnant;) I gave her a smart electrification, and directed the nurse to pursue means of promoting a deep sweat; it was done; the next day I called to see her; she was setting up, and comfortable, and was directly well. I was next called to a woman who had nursed a man, called Cootong (but spelled differently) a shoemaker, nigh Teawater pump, who had just died; she was much affected in the pleura; but a single electrification restored her, with a few other simples. By advice from Dr. M'Lain, I went to Bellevue hospital, where I relieved a few convalescents.

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FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Title page
2 Preface
13 Chapter 1 - Animal and Vegetable Electricity
26 Chapter 1 - Astronomical
70 Chapter 2 - Of the Conductors
   97 Chapter 3  [Medical Conditions]   People and Links   Theory Links
97 People 97 Links 97 Fever
108 Peripneumony 171 Cholic 210 Involuntary motion
      of the eyelids
111 Pleurisy 174 Asthma 210 Hemmorage
114 St. Anthony's Fire 176 Diabetes 217 Hemorroids
115 Inflammatory Rheumatism 178 Urine suppressed,
  bloody and hot
217 Ulcers and Abcesses
115 Inflammatory Sore Throat 182 Menses obstructed 220 Rickets
122 Madness 185 King's Evil 221 Locked Jaw or Joints
131 Ague 186 Cancers 224 Bruises
138 St. Vitus's Dance 194 Quincy 229 Nerves contracted
140 Hysterics 195 Head-ache 230 Sprain or Strain
144 Epilepsy 196 Deafness 231 Felon or Whitlow
149 Consumption 197 Inflammatory Eyes 231 Pains in different parts
153 Palsy 197 Film 232 Wounds, etc.
158 Dropsy 199 Gutta Serena 234 Drowning
164 Gout 207 Cataract 237 Suppressed Perspiration
166 Dysentery 209 Fistula Lachrymalis 237 Burns and Scalds
242 Chapter 4  [Equipment]   Equipment Links
277 Thoughts on the Times
INDEX
Electricity, or Ethereal Fire, Considered is presented here for historical purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice.





        
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